Diving in Trincomalee

We love diving! And we always jump at the chance to dive somewhere new, especially in a new country!
We had heard a lot about the diving in Sri Lanka and were keen to check it out, but by time we got to Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna in the south, the season was nearly over. We were told that the visibility was bad and that we were better off waiting until we got to Trincomalee where the season was just starting. I was also told that I might be able to do some diving work, so we were keen to get to Trinco and see what we could find. 
Unfortunately, we got to Trinco a little too early for the main season. So there was no work for me, but I decided to do a dive anyway, while Rob and Gypsy spent the day chilling out on land.

I visited a few different dive shops but decided to go with Sri Lanka dive tours. They were a good source of dive knowledge, and a friendly, family run business. The father is a tech diver instructor, and the son is the youngest dive instructor in Sri Lanka -at the ripe old age of 19!  We went to the much talked about dive site at Pigeon Island National Park. 
Pigeon Island was a nice place to dive. I saw a lot of monster Moray eels (as round as my waist) and a few other fish, but the highlight was definitely finding a live mortar (bomb) underwater. It was a memorable first for me and a very nerve-wracking moment trying to look at it, whilst not disturb it. 
After the dive we spent 30 minutes snorkeling on Pigeon Island, which is a must for people who love to swim with sharks. The fish life was large and abundant and there were plenty of black tip reef sharks patrolling the water. It was a beautiful place to snorkel! 


Overall, it was a lovely day and a nice dive!